Picking Sides
by Kitten The Kokeshi Doll
Summary: She always took everyone else's side, never Kyo's. When he asks her why they both find out the other is a little deeper KyoxTohru


Picking sides. Kyo/Tohru one shot, and yes in the English version he's Kyo not Kyou deal with it

"If you don't shut up. I'm gonna punch you!" Kyo growled at the small blond boy who had mysteriously showed up for dinner. Tohru hadn't complained, just laid out an extra place, but when Momiji had asked for extra leeks to be put into the soup, red headed and violent tempered Kyo had become angry.  
"Wahhh Kyo's picking on me!" Sobbed Momiji. Tohru came in stirring a bowl and smiled weakly.  
"Can't you two just behave, you're family afterall, right?" Family was something that meant a lot to Tohru. "What would your parents say?"  
Both boys froze, Kyo looked somewhat ticked and Momiji looked a little sad. Kyo's mother had committed suicide when he was very young, and it was only recently the rabbit had told Tohru about the lack of contact with his mother who had rejected him. She crossed hurriedly, handing the bowl to Yuki and hugged Momiji tightly. Within seconds he was a bunny rabbit, small blond and furry. "I'm sorry I should think before I open my mouth shouldn't I, Momiji!" Tohru was nearly crying.  
"Cry-baby." Muttered Kyo and left the room.  
"That boy…" Said Shigure shaking his head. Tohru felt bad for making Kyo leave, but Momiji had needed her. She put the rabbit down and went back into the kitchen, running back seconds later to retrieve her bowl from Yuki.

She gave everyone their food then headed out to find Kyo, she knew he'd be on the roof, and balancing a tray in one hand she somehow managed to climb the ladder.  
"What do you want… oh it's you. I thought it was the rat." He growled. She thrust the tray and bowl of soup at him, bowing slightly. He looked slightly shocked.  
"No leeks in yours." She said brightly. He glowered, how could she be so cheerful all the time.  
"Thanks." He muttered taking the soup. He had only taken a few spoonfuls when he realised how hot it was. "You carried this up here?"  
"Yep. I thought you'd be hungry." She grinned.  
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING IF YOU'D HAVE FALLEN YOU'D HAVE BEEN SCALDED!" Realising this sounded too nice he continued with "THEN WHO'D DO THE COOKING AND CLEANING AROUND HERE HUH?" He yelled a vein appearing on his forehead. She was by now used to his yelling and just beamed waiting for his rant to finish. "AND ANOTHER THING WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SO DAMN SMILEY! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO BE SMILEY ABOUT?"  
"Lots of things." Tohru said calmly.  
"Your parents are dead, the rest of your family kicked you out. You live with a pervert dog, and an outcast cat! And your only friends are a damn rat, a masochist and a creepy electric girl!" He fumed, hew knew his mistake instantly. He had crossed a line. The smile on Tohru's face had disappeared and she glanced into the sunset.

"Yes, there are those things, and yes, sometimes things do make me sad… Like I hate it when you fight with people…"  
"Yeah yeah, take their side why don't you." He grumbled returning to his soup.  
"But my mom always said to look on the bright side… that a smile is contagious. And I want people around me to be happy, so… no matter how tough it gets I keep smiling." She brought a smile back onto her face.  
"You're weird." Was all Kyo could come up with as he finished his soup. She took the bowl from him.  
"And for the record, it's not that I always take everyone else's side, I take the side of whoever's the saddest, so that I can try make them smile."  
"Then why do you always take Yuki's side?" He growled.  
"You two are more alike than you think… you always start the fights leaving Yuki with no choice but to fight back… he doesn't like to hurt you. You're family." And with that she disappeared down the ladder.

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"DAMN RAT!" Kyo yelled. Tohru blearily opened one eye. "Gimme that back!" She sat bolt upright, realising she must've overslept. The boys were already awake and bickering. Still in her pyjama's she hurried into the kitchen where Yuki and Kyo were arguing while Shigure read the paper calmly.  
"What's going on?"  
"Oh just that my cousin's not courteous enough to say 'thank you' if someone finds his property." Yuki said very calmly.  
"I'd say thank you if you stopped holding it to ransom and gave the damn thing back!" Kyo yelled brandishing his fists.  
"Tohru, could you please get me my school bag?"  
"Oh uh…" Though the request was odd considering it was Saturday, Tohru hurried to get his bag despite Kyo's cries of  
"DON'T MAKE TOHRU DO IT!" She returned and handed him his bag but he didn't take it.  
"In the side pocket, there's a green book. Please retrieve it?" He said gently, with a smirk on his face. She did as instructed pulling out a green book similar to her own journal. "It belongs to Kyo." Without another word she handed it to Kyo who looked slightly shocked.

"You're not gonna look at it?" he asked.  
"It's yours, and if you wanted to show me it you would've done." She handed Yuki his school bag, which this time he accepted. Kyo stared at the green book in his hands then at Tohru as she talked absently with Yuki. She had just defended him… respected his privacy… he handed her the book.  
"You… you can look." And with that he left the room hurriedly. Tohru opened the book.  
"What… is this?"  
"His sketchbook." Said Yuki sitting down and trying to read the paper over Shigure's shoulder. It was hard considering Shigure actually had a book in front of the paper. "He spends his life doodling."

The first page was just writing 'KYO'S KEEP YOUR DAMN NOSE OUT' but the next few pages were far more than 'doodles' as Yuki had called them, the pages were etched with deeply personal drawings. Tohru felt edgy, as though she had no right to be looking at these, a small boy standing alone at a graveside… she recognised the face as Kyo's. The date on the drawing was months old.  
"Look at some of the most recent ones." Yuki said with a small smirk. "He's drawn you." she flicked through pictures of a cat eating a rat, a black and white beaded cage containing an orange cat, and several others before seeing a picture of herself. He had drawn her in her school uniform with her bag in front of her, smiling as usual. There were dozens of pages just devoted to her, causing her to blush intensely. Though his most recent drawing filled her with sadness, as she hurried to the roof to where Kyo was.

He looked more catlike than she had possibly ever seen him, aside from the pencil in his hand. He was curled into a semi circle, his legs stretching much longer than seemed natural. His tongue between his teeth and a sharp look in his eyes as he sketched.  
"Kyo?" She questioned, trying to see what he was working on, he protectively shielded it.  
"Not yet." Was all he said. She glanced at the picture in her hand instead. It was drawn just last night, probably after his fight with Momiji, it depicted a wall with a dog a rabbit and a rat on one side. A cat was on the other (left) side all alone, it was raining on that side of the wall. But more noticeable to her was, sat on the wall, facing the cat rabbit and dog, was a smiling Tohru. Her legs were swung as though she was jumping down to join them. He truly thought she took everyone else's side. He tucked the pencil behind his ear, blew on the paper and handed it to her without looking.

She took it. The picture was almost identical on the right, but the left now illustrated a sleeping/peaceful cat, and Tohru sat on his side of the wall. She smiled and sat beside him.  
"Stop smiling." He grumbled.  
"Explain something to me. You transform when someone hugs you full on… but can I hug you sideways?" He looked utterly confused. She leaned into his side and his arm automatically went over her shoulder. "The drawings were beautiful Kyo" She whispered.  
"Yeah well… whatever." He mumbled. For a long time they remained in a comfortable silence, Tohru hardly daring to move incase she came too close to his chest and transformed him into the cat from the drawing. When she finally did move it was to break the half-hug, and hand him his sketchbook. She straightened up.  
"I have to go make breakfast." She said brushing off her skirt and turning to leave.  
"Tohru…" He grabbed her wrist and she turned to face him. He smiled, shocking her. She had made him smile!  
"I'm very happy." She said softly. "To see you smiling." She swept down and kissed him on the cheek causing him to turn scarlet. "I promise, from now on... I'm on your side."

He looked awkward but quickly maintained his usual stony status.  
"Quit getting all girly and go make some food." He growled. She kneeled beside him and stared into his eyes. He determinedly looked away.  
"I'm… going to kiss you now." She said hesitantly. He glanced at her uncertainly, as she leaned in and kissed him softly. He didn't know quite how to react, so leaned back on his elbows, she had to lean forward in order t continue the kiss, and when he tried to open her mouth a little, she was so shocked her hand slipped, causing her to fall on top of him. He transformed into a ginger cat.  
"Stupid." He snapped crawling out of his shirt. She picked him up, and his clothes and sketchbook. As she carried him into the kitchen he licked her hand affectionately, protectively, territorially. Yuki smirked, Shigure chuckled and Tohru smiled.

'I promise Kyo, you won't feel alone again'

a/n: Opinion?


End file.
